But is your head spinning from the myriad of expert tips on amplifying, electrifying or igniting your content? If so, the following includes an academic perspective of what really qualifies as emotional content.

Let’s first start by calling it what it is: we are shipping our content through online channels. The reason for emotionalizing this content on its way for delivery is to get it ready for a surprise discovery or something that moves us. Once opened, it needs to get your audience excited enough to digest it, share it, remember it, and most of all, create one more sentimental attachment to you or your brand.

Wheel of Emotional Content Attributes

Scores of blogs and articles have covered the subject of emotional content. And while some have justified a set of emotional stimuli from psychological studies, we seem to be left with a mixed bag of psychological stimuli, voice characteristics and media formats as a framework for studying viral content.

Add to that the myriad of expedited practitioner pieces on 6 ways to…, 7 emotions for…, etc., and you can see why content marketers lack a cohesive set of meaningful emotional drivers.

There is, however, a convergence developing between theories of emotional drivers and what is implied from viral video statistics. For example, content marketers and researchers seem to agree that emotions associated with viral content have the following attributes:

Sorting out these characteristics for completeness and category distinction, an evaluation of viral content leads us to eight attributes of emotional content, the names of which are adjusted to spell S-H-I-P-P-I-N-G as a memorable acronym.

In almost all cases, content that goes viral has an element of surprise to trigger attention. By itself, however, surprise does not qualify as an emotion stimuli; but when combined with fear, sadness, anger, disgust or joy, it accounts for nearly every case of emotional content.

This “element of surprise” often happens as an unexpected twist revealed toward the end of a content piece. In perhaps its most effective setting, the element of surprise is cast in a monotonous public setting that challenges crowd routines with a “let loose” spontaneity.

Dozens of flash mob videos garnered millions of views when cast in unsuspected public settings including malls, train stations, airports, public squares and universities. Consider how effective T-Mobile’s was in stirring hundreds of folks at London’s Liverpool Street station. The flashmob-style advert presents a strong case for public spontaneity as an audience engager. And by adding an “element of surprise” to the dancing euphoria, the video garnered nearly 4 million views.

In similar fashion, Banco Sabadell surprised a huge outdoor audience with well orchestrated music. Beginning with a small number of professional musicians, the audience was overwhelmed by an eventual full orchestra accompanied by a music choir.

Besides flash mobs, others have capitalized on surprising crowds with augmented reality. Check out how British digital agency Appshaker stirred up a crowd at a UK mall for National Geographic Channel. The passerby’s were invited to interact with wild animals and other fictional characters on a big screen.

Augmented Reality as a “Delightful Surprise” to Attract Crowd Attention

Pepsi Max took this one step further in a public prank also created by augmented reality. Crowds, in this case, were shown aliens and heart stopping scenes through cameras disguised in bus shelters. And much like other crowd disturbing entertainment, the video went viral.

Pepsi Max Uses “Fearful Surprise” to Attract Crowd Attention

And this growing trend towards rattling crowds doesn’t involve just brands. A coffee shop in New York startled the wits out of unsuspecting customers witnessing a telekinetic tantrum. The video amassed over 55 million views in less than 6 months. TNT released in Belgium their staging of a big red push button in a normally quiet Flemish town square. The audience was shocked at what happened next.

Much like the impact of a flash mob scene, the button pressing consequences led to over 50 million views. This combination of surprise and fear attests to the impact that negative emotions can also have on viral content.

Besides spontaneous public disruptions, another element of surprise involves an unexpected change of routine. In her most recent debut, Beyoncé rolled out her own album promotion. Much to the surprise of the press and her fans, she sidestepped traditional PR channels with her own Instagram album photos and music videos. It not only stirred emotions, it helped her create a more direct bond with her fans as well.

This technique bode well for the ever ebullient Richard Branson. In a daring move to challenge the mundane airline safety instructions we all dread, he surprised his patrons with an entertaining approach to the subject. Passengers were likely startled to see such an unorthodox approach to conveying serious safety issues.

But the performance of the same video on YouTube demonstrates its high favorability. Since its release, Delta, Philippine Airlines, Southwest and others have followed suit.

Now imagine the surprise to the viewers of Metro Trains Melbourne. Like Virgin Atlantic, they took a chance with their lighted hearted approach to safety. Their “Dumb Ways to Die” video reached 76 million views and 73 thousand likes. Both Metro and Virgin clearly demonstrate that audiences need stimulation. And one way to accomplish this is through the element of surprise.

Humanizing brands is nothing new, but it wasn’t as important back when brands controlled their own perceptions. With social media transferring control to consumers, however, open and honest conversations have taken over market-speak. And content marketers are quickly grasping that, without personality, brands will die on the vine.

A look at Who’s Who in Facebook marketing validates the need for personality. With dozens of authors publishing in the field, three personalities always seem to stand-out (from left-to-right): the entertaining Grandma Mary alter ego of Andrea Vahl; the ever charismatic Mari Smith; and the enterprising, but humble Amy Porterfield. These ladies can really capture an audience. And they do it while still being themselves.

Undoubtedly, brand personality requires more than one person’s voice. First, the values represented by the brand have to resonate with the target audience across every piece of content. If done effectively, a brand’s personality often reaches a sweet spot usually in one of five dimensions: excitement (Disney’s It’s a Small World), sincerity (Dove’s Real Beauty Sketches), ruggedness (Red Bull’s Give You Wings), competence (Chipotle’s Food with Integrity) and sophistication (Grey Goose’s Fly Beyond).

GE shows its personalitythrough its technology. They consistently show how their technology changes the lives of those that depend on it. From stories of a Japanese doctor jet skiing across islands with GE’s medical equipment to Scottish islanders that harness the power of their tide-driven undersea turbines, GE’s personality is cast as a caring and innovative provider of life altering technologies. Notice how this was done, for example, in a story of a first time flyer travelling to an elite soccer camp in a plane powered by GE’s engines.

Secondly, the voice has to be consistent across the enterprise. Here is where the rubber meets the road. Can a brand‘s personality be as consistently described and enforced enterprise-wide as Apple’s “making people’s lives easier” or Virgin Atlantic’s “vibrant, loose and fun image?” And is the voice a reflection of the founder’s personality and vision as in the case of Apple’s Steve Jobs and Virgin’s Richard Branson.

Besides personality, humanizing a brand also requires us to “speak human.” In his book, There Is No B2B Or B2C: It’s Human To Human #H2H, Bryan Kramer builds a compelling case that much of what we read is riddled with messaging that is too complicated and overly though out.

Instead, he argues in his “5 Basic Rules for Speaking Human” that content should “market to the heart, and sell to the head.” This means getting to the point in as few words as possible. It also means putting yourself in your customer’s shoes when crafting communications.

A great example of this empathy towards customers can be seen in TSB Bank’s story of the Reverend Henry Duncan, a man whose radical creation of a trustee savings bank resonated with ordinary hardworking folks. The stark contrast of Duncan and today’s global investment firm resembles that of George Bailey and Henry Potter in It’s a Wonderful Life. In so doing TSB humanizes their brand

Another example of empathy is displayed by Ram Trucks. Their story of how God made a farmer on the eighth day is done as a tribute to the hard work ethic and unique attributes of a farmer. The video generated over 17M views and 55K likes.

Finally, emotional connections can be made through content when the audience is invited to play a role or belong to a community. Access to “behind-the-scenes” content, in particular, is a great way to build a sense of togetherness.

And by allowing users to help shape the brand through crowd-sourcing or their own content, audiences can earn bragging rights. Microsoft can attest to this audience role back when Windows 7 was introduced. Their infamous “I’m a PC and Windows 7 was my idea” campaign created an emotional attachment to a brand not well known for humanizing.

Inspiring Audiences to Overcome, Shoot High or Make a Difference

Much like entertaining content, inspirational messaging transcends the best of informative and instructional content. Did you ever notice how many tweets, posts, pins, videos or other news feed updates are intended to lift our spirits or encourage us to pursue a better self? In general, most content of this type relates to:

Overcoming obstacles

Feeling spiritually lifted and grateful

Aspiring for better self endeavors

Pursuing dreams

Discovering talents and gifts

Eureka moments

Among the ways that inspiring themes lead to viral content is through messages of hope and encouragement. This is often done by allowing us to live vicariously through the lives of those experiencing far greater misfortune.

In “My Last Days, Meet Zach Sobiech,” I asked my students why they felt inspired from a video leading to Zach’s final hours. Most claimed it gave them a sense of closure with their own issues. Others implied it made them feel grateful and more willing to take chances in life. This may explain why Pfizer’s “More than Medication” surpassed 4 million views.

Other forms of inspiration include the many “no pain, no gain” moments of truth used primarily in sports content. Brands often capitalize on this technique to tap into our resilience and resolve. Perhaps no one does this better than Richard Simmons, whose promotion of weight loss programs over the past 35 years claims to have helped humanity lose over 12 million pounds.

In Nike’s “Find Your Greatness” campaign, the centerpiece of content features an overweight 12 year old, Nathan, toughing out a grueling and lonely jog. The campaign is not only meant to inspire everyday athletes, it supports their motivational hub for athletes looking to “share their progress and success through social channels.”

Another way that inspiring content taps into our deepest emotions is through reassurance. Dove does this very effectively in their “Real Beauty Sketches.” The tear jerking video went viral (62 million views) as women realized they are their worst critics. Backed by a statistic that only 4% of women worldwide consider themselves beautiful, Dove creates an especially strong emotional bond in their commitment to “create a world where beauty is a source of confidence, not anxiety.”

Finally, inspiration aimed at pushing our aspirations can work well in audience reach and engagement when backed by personalities we admire. From Eureka moments of newly recognized talents to first attempts at fighting depression, inspirational content can create perhaps the most lasting emotional connection with your audiences.

Entertaining Audiences with Humor, Games and Animated Stories

Another way to spark emotional connections from content is through playfulness. Humor, in particular, accounts for a vast majority of viral YouTube videos. Rooted in three theories, laughter is produced when we see something out of sorts, enjoy others’ misfortunes or release ourselves from inhibitions.

The incongruity theory of humor explains why we laugh at comic wit often expressed as irony or exaggeration. Volvo Trucks featured Claude Van Damme performing a leg a split that separated two parallel moving trucks. The video surpassed 79 million views as observers conducted a mental reality check. In a recent release, Southwest announced their $9,999 round trip to the planet Mars.

Another great example of exaggeration includes the infamous case of Blendtec, where its founder, Tom Dickson, produced a series of videos exaggerating his product’s performance. In total, the videos garnered nearly 200 million views.

The theory of superiority explains for the sudden glory we experience in witnessing others’ inferiority or misfortunes. In its most common form, it includes bungled behaviors, macho moments gone bad and society satires. T-Mobile capitalized on this form of humor in their royal wedding spoof. Using a host of royal look-alikes, they parted a shot at haughty royal etiquette with playful irreverence.

This style of humor is also supported by the relief theory of humor that explains why we laugh when letting loose of our inhibitions. Several videos exceeded 10 million views when accompanied by unruly behaviors or the violation of sacred taboos. IKEA is known for their edgy content that makes us laugh when parents act out.

Other have taken the route of explosive behavior from intimidating icons in their approach to this style of humor. Consider how Snicker’s Mr. T, Nike’s Clay Matthews, and Reebock’s “Terry Tate Office Linebacker” videos reached millions of views as these icons disrupt peaceful settings.

Foursquare, in particular, brought attention to this concept with their rewarded badges. Since then, rewards have extended to everyday activities like ordering food or watching movies.

Much of the gamification is being used for motivation. In a recent blog post, Lee Odden points out that:

“…People are relying on this technology for feedback and motivation. Examples: Alarm clock app that donates money to charity every time you hit the snooze button. Nike Plus app notifies your social networks that you’re going for a run; and when anyone likes your update, the app plays applause. Or Gym shamer, which posts when you don’t go to the gym…”

- Lee Odden, TopRank

So far, the concept shows promise in stimulating audience engagement especially when applied to tasks we normally dread (e.g., managing email overload, fitness, diet and medical checking). A growing trend is to create fun out of safety issues. Besides the Virgin Atlantic and Metro Trains examples cited earlier, Volkswagon created this fun initiative that encourages folks not to speed.

Another growing trend in playfulness is the use of 3D animated stories. Especially when applied to holiday fun, this use of mini movies has worked well for LEGO® and Coca Cola. But John Lewis took it to a new level in their viral Christmas advert “The Bear & The Hare.” Reaching nearly 13 million views, the storied content extends to their website with behind the scenes content and other entertaining features.

And most recently, Caterpillar entered the foray of fun with their “Build For It” branding campaign. The viral video shows the lighter side of the heavy machinery company by using their equipment to play a game of Jenga with 600 lb. blocks.

Finally, brands are now sponsoring content that allows a more immersive experience. In Pepsi’s “Now is What You Make It” interactive film and TV commercial, they allow fans to create their own experience by selecting additional interactive content as the video progresses.

The recent $2B Facebook acquisition of Oculus Rift suggests that an even more immersive experience may be in the making. The 3D head-mounted display could potentially take virtual reality gaming experiences to a new level of content interaction.

Stir Passions with Solidarity, Puppy Love, Pleas & Awe

In 1975, an unknown actor and film producer shocked the world with a $225 million film that later produced five more successful sequels. In the film, a kind hearted debt collector named Rocky Balboa overcomes all odds as a prize fighter. To this date, the infamous “Gonna Fly Now” song is used by many to fuel their passions.

Emotions are often aroused when our favorite teams are competing or when we show allegiance to our country. This sense of pride and solidarity transcends beyond almost every other form of emotional connection when it is felt personally. Both Coca Cola’s “America is Beautiful” commercial and Budweiser’s 911 tribute are great examples of how content can go viral when it taps into sentiments of allegiance.

On a softer side, hearts are often moved from the display of puppy love or family connections. Hallmark has done this for years in their sentimental displays of family affection. Especially when reflecting on nostalgic moments or the impact made by those that passed, these emotional connections can significantly stir emotions.

And when adding a touch of humor to the sentiment, as in the witnessing of child innocence or puppy love, audiences get a dose of laughter and family joy. Budweiser’s “Puppy Love” commercial reached over 50 million views by featuring the strong bond between a dog and horse.

Others have taken the route of stirring emotions through compassionate pleas. Last year, Christina Aguilera made a plea for the hungry and homeless during her mission trip to Rwanda with the World Food Program. In a similar vein, Hope for Paws used their footage of a homeless dog living in the streets as a plea for animal rescue. Both went viral as dramatic displays touched the hearts of thousands.

But passionate feelings are not restricted to heartfelt moments. Content is often staged in performances that feature musicals, performing arts, drama or moments of awe. Our own study of viral videos showed how theater, choreographic beats, mini-drama and musical interludes impact audience engagement through emotional connections.

Similarly, passions could be stirred as we marvel over the spectacular. In our blog “Top 15 Top 15 Viral Video Engagers: #2 Astonishment,” exceptional reach and engagement was noted when audiences were spellbound. Like Apple’s “Think Different,” the marvel is often centered around those we admire.

Heighten Emotions with Imagery

Creating these moment of awe, however, normally requires superb photography and video performances that allow audiences to marvel over greatness, beautiful nature or masterful craftsmanship. Ideally, the imagery taps into a deeper sense of admiration we have for extraordinary talent or our Creator.

Few would debate that smart businesses are incorporating more visuals into their content plans. The rapid rise of visual social media through Pinterest, Facebook/Instagram, Tumblr, Vine, Snapchat and Vine are testimony to the appeal that imagery has over textual content. An estimated 90% of information transmitted in the brain is visual; but, more importantly, visuals are processed 60,000 X faster in the brain than text. This gives our content far greater opportunities to stand out from content noise.

Imagery, in particular, is unique in its evoking feelings of serenity, provocation or deep sentiments. And when extended to videos, they take on multi-sensory aspects that often have a compounding effect on emotional arousal. Our earlier blog on “Top 15 to Create Engaging Content” demonstrates a number of ways that concept imagery, in particular, arouses these emotions.

Using Narratives to Shape Stories of Quest & Rebirth

Perhaps the greatest attention given to emotionalizing content by brands has been in the crafting of compelling brand stories. Our 3 part series on storytelling demonstrates how brands can create H-E-A-R-T-F-E-L-T elements, emotions and impacts especially when the narrative reflects both the values of the brand and the targeted audience.

The trend towards storytelling has especially been noticed among brands seeking to distinguish themselves in an overwhelming sea of content. Two areas in particular, visual storytelling and mobile storytelling, have been widely discussed as brands see promise in both apps and videos enabling them to portray their sense of purpose to targeted audiences.

Although 7 types of plots are mentioned among storytelling researchers and practitioners, most viral videos featured over the past year include stories on:

In their heartfelt series of raising olympians, P&G’s “Thank You Mom – Pick Them Back Up”reached over 20 million views as it captured the gut-wrenching trials of young athletes determined to go all the way.

Displaying Generosity in Contributions, Kindness & Causes

One of the greatest methods agreed by most content marketers to stir emotions is through generosity. And this starts with generous contribution of content. Let’s face it. Audiences love to be rewarded. It’s a sign of our attention to them as well as their reward for spending time with our brands.

Consumers are quite accustomed to receiving free content. In a recent piece on FREEmiums, we point out how free content is key to advancing prospects through a social sales funnel. But more importantly, audiences delight in knowing they received a gift.

The same applies to thoughtful gestures as when WestJet surprised their arriving passengers with Christmas presents. The video reached over 35 million views in less than 3 months as the previous unknown airline expressed an extreme act of goodwill.

Most recently, TrueMove H Thailand released this amazing commercial centered around their theme ”Giving Is The Best Communication.” The video brings many tears to eyes as a benevolent citizen is paid back in his time of need.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GLq_Vp5z9D4

TVC Thai Life Insurance shared a story of a generous citizen whose efforts to help others paid off with their emotional responses. The video surpassed 17 million views and earned over a 100,000 likes.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uaWA2GbcnJU

Finally, Duracell demonstrated their generosity through community kindness. In their “Moments of Warmth Powered by You,” they surprised patrons of a bus shelter with hand powered heating. The gesture not only resulted in Duracell’s video reaching 1 million views in only 2 weeks, their benevolence was especially appreciated by winter worn Canada residents. And it resonates well with the Duracell brand message of being powered by a human connection: “…In Canada, we have cold winters, but we also have each other…”

Conclusion

So with the alarming levels of content hitting the internet, it is clear that content marketers must find a way to distinguish themselves by emotionally amplifying their content. This will likely shift the bulk of content formats from one of instruction and information to one of entertainment and inspiration.

And to do this effectively, brands and small firms have to show their true colors while surprising us with playful content, awe inspiring imagery, sentimental pleas or passionate performances. Add stories of generosity or triumph; and you may find the key to establishing emotional connections that get your content to go viral.

So what other ways do you think content can strike an emotional chord with targeted audiences?

66 thoughts on “S-H-I-P-P-I-N-G Content with an Emotional Twist”

S-H-I-P-P-I-N-G, Storytelling and heartfelt commercials are all very powerful ways of reaching out to customers and making them aware of the products. With this commercials people will get to like the product, trust the product, and eventually buy it. One thing that I have seen that has captured my attention is, that no matter what type of emotional twist is attached to a commercial melodies enhance the experience. Music is extremely important, but not just any type of music meaningful music. If you put your TV or computer on mute while watching a commercial then what type of effect will you have? Nothing probably.. OK let’s try another scenario what about commercials that are suppose to be sad or sentimental or even humanizing with some type of crazy music in the back ground? Nope!! I don’t think so. Sound is important it is everything,music and melodies are what feeling sounds like. Staying current with the trendy music will help a company succeed. we already hear the same music all day, then having a song that is current is the best thing you can do to your commercial. Or creating a catchy melody like the one from the Metro ways to die I hate the commercial but I can get that song out of my head. That works. Originality, being innovative is important because you spark something new in people. Whether is about animals, babies or anything that has worked in the past with a new twist.

In my opinion I feel like companies regularly do a great job at creating an emotional bond with their target demographic. It is definitely a great idea how the companies use experiences that people have bin through or know of have gone through. Doing this creates a strong connection with the audience. Once the company or business can thoroughly grasp the attention of the target audience, they will definitely be able to achieve set goals and expectations of the company. Companies such as Publix, Target, and Wal-Mart are definitely using this tactic to gather a following. In their advertisements they create a unique presence that allows you to connect without you even realizing which company or brand is being marketed at the time. Some advertisements on the other hand come off to strong in my opinion, they somewhat turn you off of the topic that is being presented. Some of the commercial that go viral most of the time are the extraordinary ones such as the red bull and go-pro, which advertises individuals doing things others wouldn’t do. This type of content always motivates people and leaves them in constant admiration, which is a great emotional chord. Although all these techniques and all this content work they have to be used right. Commercials need to have a balance of everything. No one wants a boring commercial of sad emotional moments. It has to be entertaining and motivating at the same time. Some might even motivate through humor, but are backed up by other features, which make them work.

As marketers learn to harness the power of big data I believe it will become easier to create content with an emotional twist. The ability to like and comment on stories and events that are relevant to us as consumers allows marketers to understand what topics need to be utilized to create a viral response as well as what methodology will work best. While imagery and context are the cornerstone techniques for SHIPPING at this time I believe opportunities exist with regard to the use of music. Certain sounds and songs drive a very visceral response. Most advertisers utilize a very common pallette as far as their sound design is concerned. With the saturation of content that is occurring this may be a key mechanism to further drive differentiation. Depending on the product and the consumer certain themes can be strengthened by the use of a particular genre or artist. Sound design offers marketers additional ways to be unique and memorable.

When it comes to thinking about another method that can be equally or more successful than the S-H-I-P-P-I-N-G method that we have read about above, it is rather difficult to top. With this method, surprise, humanizing, inspiration, playfulness, passion, imagery, narratives, and generosity all come into play. When I think about a successful commercial/advertisement that captures my attention I think of the ever so popular superbowl ads that we experience every year. Some of my favorites include the Doritos Goat commercial, and the little Darth Vader Audi commercial. Both of these ads show playfulness which capture the hearts of the consumers. For the Doritos ad, we see this goat that is obsessed with Doritos and its owner who is sick of hearing the goat chomp away with each bite of the Dorito. In the end, the owner is the one eating all the Doritos and the goat has a tantrum and beats the owner up. For the Audi commercial, we see a little boy dressed as Darth Vader who is attempting to use his powers to turn on the Audi. After multiple failures, he almost gives up, but then tries one last time. With the remote start-up that Audi is now featuring, his father is able to turn the car on from the inside of the house, which creates a surprise when the little boy throws his hands at the car in the attempt to start it on his own. He gets excited that he finally did it on his own. This captures the hearts of all adults, which are the direct target market in this instance. So when it comes to what method I think would personally strike an emotional chord with consumers, I believe those funny, personable, and playful commercials are those that pull at the heart strings of their consumers winning them over in the long run.

The most important step for the content marketers is to connect, bond and have the attention of the audience, regardless of which way of emotion we select, we need to first make sure to catch the audience attention. After capturing the audience, we need to make sure to connect the emotions with our brand, product or service. An excellent way to catch the emotion of the audience is getting the deepest emotion, sentiments, and passion. A great way, and one that I personally loved is the heartfelt elements, those campaigns or ads that capturing not only your attention but also your feelings, makes a special connection between your product or service and the audience. Storytelling is also another way to evoke emotions and catch the attention of the audience. Those types of campaigns that include surprise, storytelling and sentimental messages, are the one that is a most to used to impress, chord with the targeted audience.

Marketers can strike an emotional chord with target audiences if they specifically know the habits and interests of their consumers. Marketers can create content related to the causes that interest their audience, establishing an increasing bond with consumers. Building trust with consumers is of the utmost importance and taking an interest in their causes or charities may accomplish this goal. In this way companies can promote their brand quietly without having to use outright advertising tactics. In addition, companies taking initiatives with charities or causes stirs the passions of consumers, allowing for consumers to become brand advocates. It also lends creditability to the company as a socially responsible corporation. Marketers may strike an emotional chord by creating content related to their target market’s pain points. Consumers are always searching for solutions to their problems or struggles, by utilizing their pain points companies will acquire attention. By targeting their struggles companies establish themselves as trustworthy and problems solvers for their consumers.

So what other ways do you think content can strike an emotional chord with targeted audiences?

The S-H-I-P-P-I-N-G model really covers all basis in my opinion when regarding generating and hitting an emotional chord with targeted audience. This is due to the fact that all the headings within shipping can have subheadings. Such as inspiration, it can include encouragement, strength, which ultimately connects the targeted audience to the brand. They have changed their day in a certain way, that has changed their mind frame, all through a smaller frame of pixels, picture and audio. That is the ultimate goal for a brand, which is to create a bond, period. For example, taking a look at the video Duracell produced with the bus shelter, Duracell just by bonding humans with other humans gained immense brand awareness. It wasn’t just about buying batteries that last forever, but to depict the power that people can have together. Striking an emotion chord can be difficult, but once it is done successfully, it is the most memorable kind of marketing. Humanizing a brand is one of the most important things marketing can achieve. A product, which is just a thing, comes to life by being more than that, and becomes a story, a cure, a laugh, a cry, or any other sentiment.

I think other way to strike an emotional chord could be through optimism, love, or admiration. I know these could probably be subheadings for the S-H-I-P-P-I-N-G acronym but they aren’t specifically mentioned. Having a “half glass full” point of view in marketing can be extremely successful. People want to feel happiness and feel good in life. This was represented by Duracell in their bus stop commercial. No matter how cold it is outside, beautiful things can happen. Love. What else is there to say? Everyone wants to love and be loved, as many have said. Therefore, showing emotions people want and can grasp through a brand, this would hit some sort of emotions. Admiration is a huge one as well. Unfortunately, the human race normally wants what they don’t have, therefore, through admiration, emotions cling on to this and seek for a better tomorrow.

I believe the SHIPPING theory of designing content to strike emotional chord with targeted audiences already oversees all the most important techniques of content creation to connect in the deepest and last longing ways with the specific personas. Content created with elements of Surprise, Humanizing, Inspiration, Playfulness, Passion, Imagery with Narratives and Generosity are way more effective than direct messages. Sometimes the content itself doesn’t even has to be directly related or explicit the brand / company but will be remembered epically because it touched the audience in a different way, it touched their heart, emotions and feelings. I believe that people are already so used to be constantly bombarded with different brands, ads and information that the most innovative and creative a content can be will be more effective. Therefore, I believe that it doesn’t depend on the SHIPPING element utilized, it depends on the creativity and I would say mostly on the surprise factor to capture target’s attention. Sometimes the creativity, innovation an surprise can be matched with the human curiosity of knowing how things were done, the real life situations. In those lines good content can be created with low budget, as if it was amateur done but with a SHIPPING element message to captivate and surprise the audience.

After reading this blog, we can conclude that there are many ways of striking an emotional chord for specific targeted audiences. From all of the different ways that one could strike emotion I believe the best one is by humor. Humor, when used appropriately can definitively benefit a brand. In addition, humor will never get old and should be included in one’s content, when suitable. Moreover, many brands today rely one humor to get someone’s attention and get their message across. For example, Jimmy Kimmel for his live show he setup a YouTube challenge: Asked parents to record their children’s reaction when they told them that either mom or dad had ate all their Halloween candy. As you can imagine, there were a wide range of responses from the kids. From children crying, screaming to laughing and telling their parents to share with them next time http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WOlpdd7y8MI . Evidently this video used humor and adorable children to share a story.

On the contrary to humorous content, another good way of conveying emotion is by fear. In some cases fear can be fitting when getting a message across, especially when it comes to vital health concerns/brands/nonprofits to inspire emotion. Fear is primarily used when trying to show the audiece a truthful event. For instance, this commercial from Center from Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5zWB4dLYChM was created so people could see how damaging smoking can be and ultimately letting smokes know that they should stop. This commercial certainly displays fear in the sense that it is a scary though that a smoker can end up like the lady in the video and how smoking can be so damaging to one’s body. In the end, there are many ways marketers can use emotions to show their story to a specific audience.

All 8 elements that make up the diagram in the blog above are capable of striking an emotional chord with targeted audiences. It all comes down to “knowing your audience” and understanding your target market and which of the element(s) will evoke a feeling in them to capture their attention and remember your brand. An example would be the touching heartfelt commercial the Mayhew Animal Home made using a mix of the elements to attract mass audiences. Mayhew combined humanizing (love & friendship), Inspiration (life changing), Passion (compassion) and the element of surprise (the ending) in order to create a commercial that would evoke a strong emotion in all, perhaps even tears in some. Their content being “unconditional love” is something that a great majority of people yearn for.

Lastly, as I have mentioned before in several other blog comments, humor is always a safe way to evoke the right kind of emotions in your target audience. Everyone likes to laugh and videos containing this element are always going viral. People like to share these videos and pass them along to one another generating chatter and helping creating brand awareness via your content rather than your “sales pitch.” Another great commercial dealing with this element the is the NFL Network TV’s promotion to watch the draft on their network. Instead of telling the audience to go out and buy a package that included their channel, etc they strategically used humor.

So what other ways do you think content can strike an emotional chord with targeted audiences?

I believe that content that strikes an emotional chord with its audience is one of the most powerful ways to connect with your consumer. The S-H-I-P-P-I-N-G model is a great way to go about connecting with your customers. It gives all the main elements you need to create an impact in you customer’s life. Whether it’s through surprise, passion, imagery or generosity you will connect with your target market and create a memorable message that the consumer can connect with.

In my opinion, I believe the content that strikes with the largest market would be surprise and generosity. Surprise, Is probably on of the best emotional chords to strike this. It catches the viewers attention and makes it memorable, this creates brand acknowledgement for the company. One example of surprising content is the Virgin Atlantic safety video. They took something that was tired and worn out, reinvented it and created something that people actually like to see. Generosity is another one that connects with consumer audience. A great example of this is the Toms commercial. Toms has used generosity to create a brand name in the shoe world. With their commercials and ads, they have touched the heart of millions and created this huge moment towards buying their shoes. An example of this is the following commercial created by toms.

S-H-I-P-P-I-N-G content details the many ways to pull at emotional chords. The acronym also explains how to attract your target audience, many times this is through memorable experiences. Through the emotional marketing consumers are more engaged and more likely to build a personal relationship with the brand. Companies also build brand awareness through this recognizable and memorable marketing. Sending messages of hope, inspiration or sadness enables brands to connect with consumers of a deeper level than product satisfaction. An example of this are the many commercials showing veterans and army personal reconnecting with their family. It is essential for companies in todays hyper competitive market to gain business through trust and loyalty, as customers are shying away from companies who are pushing sales of a product or service.

Companies have taken up personification as a strategy towards reaching out to their audience on a personal manner. This is because todays target market is comprised of people and entities that are looking for someone who cares about them during their processing of possible solutions to a problem that needs attention. They also tend to seek out the familiar products to fulfill their needs, and this is often impulsive in nature. Therefore, as an effort towards becoming the go-to company during such moments, marketers have resolved to strike their target audiences’ emotional chords.

In addition to the various forms of targeting listed in the S-H-I-P-P-I-N-G model, another effective form that can strike an emotional chord is an appropriate balancing mix of tension and anticipation. Tension is achievable when the advertiser chooses to kick off the ad with a certain selected captivating situation, one that captures the audience’s attention immediately. The scene could then proceed with a series of events angled towards raising the tension levels of the would-be audience. Once they get to a certain point, it shows the main character facing a difficult choice between probable solutions, all of which have their own dire opportunity costs. This is the part the ad involves the audience. It does this by putting them in a tight spot that is time-conscious and forces them to make rush decisions on what they would have done were they the ones in that particular situation. By instinct, the audience will be plunge into that world and involve themselves in the decision-making process, at which point the product in question comes in handy.

This buildup of anticipation makes it easier for the audience to relate to the product as anticipation enhances memorability. A variety of emotions is accessible when one is in a tense state. Therefore, once plunged into this tense situation, the ad is free to manipulate any relevant emotion as it sees fit for the product in question. As it is with the other sets of emotions, tension and anticipation can only reach their optimum effect when used concurrently with other emotions, the most popular being the introduction of the element of surprise somewhere along the advertisement content in a bid to restore hope. One of the most effective ad campaigns that take advantage of this element of tension and anticipation is the VW Wedding Commercial . It starts by grabbing the audience’s attention with a socially complicated scenario of a newly wedded groom fighting with the best man, and then proceeds to finish it off with some comic relief. Generally, the ad leaves the audience pumping with adrenaline and falling off their seats in laughter. This proves once more that tension can only be most effective in content when combined with other forms of emotion.

I think that another way to strike an emotional chord to a targeted audience is by stimulating a feeling of power. We all have fears and doubts about things we would like to get, and brands can take advantage of this to show their audience how their products can help them get what they want. We can talk about the not so handsome man who gets the attention of the beautiful girl at the bar just because he is having a drink that makes him look interesting. We can also mention the little boy nobody believes in, and suddenly wins a race or makes a home run.
With this technique brands might make their audience connect with some weaknesses they have and make them believe they can help them overcome those fears and start getting results by using their products.
Most of the products have been designed to fix a problem. Every problem causes an uncomfortable feeling. And companies must find what those feelings, insecurities or fears are, and show what “power” they can offer to their target.
To use this technique successfully, companies must create a heartfelt story that touches a sensible point and with a surprise element show how something that seemed impossible is suddenly possible. This will make people trust and believe, not only themselves but the brand as well.

A powerful but tricky, less ideal way to strike an emotional chord with targeted audiences is through fear or anger. When I see something that I don’t value or are against my principles, it creates a sensation inside me that something should be done.

This video strikes me as controversial and you can see the reactions from the passerby’s. But it has a surprise in the middle because they change the situation. When you watch how other humans react to different scenarios you get a sense of awe and amazement and a “Is that how people are?”. And it makes you want to changes things and do things differently, for the better. Usually the purpose for content is to entertain and educate. But what about content that makes you think about your life and how you can make a difference. Sometimes putting things in a different perspective can cause our emotions to stir and try to understand things from a different light.

Striking an emotional chord is a great way to market a product, as the consumer will be more likely to purchase a product if they can relate or connect on an emotional level. A consumer’s emotional response to a brand will also influence their consumer loyalty. This in turn will make the product or company a memorable one and create a bond between the consumer and the company. The “S.H.I.P.P.I.N.G.” method perfectly describes some of the most effective ways to market to your target audience using emotional content.

Aside from the eight methods that make up “S.H.I.P.P.I.N.G.”, another way to appeal to audiences while striking an emotional chord could be by showcasing real life experiences or struggles. A great example of this is Skype’s commercial “The Born Friends Family Portrait”. This commercial struck an emotional chord with my family and I when we first came across it. It is a beautiful and really touching story of two teenage girls that were born with half of one arm missing but found each other and became the best of friends. They came together mostly for the mere fact that they can relate to each other’s challenges and could help one another get through them. This commercial makes consumers think of Skype in a light hearted way embracing the fact of how social media could bring us all together. Allowing the consumers to vicariously live through Sarah and Paige’s lifelong journey was a great technique used by Skype. Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5nRKyQ11494

A company who has capitalized on making emotional commercials is Publix. An example of a beautiful commercial that strikes an emotional chord is their “Mother’s Day” commercial. We see a little girl making a pinwheel when the baby suddenly kicks. The mother tells her daughter that when she was restless in her belly she would tell her secrets so she suggests on the girl telling the baby a secret and says “you’re really going to love mom”. Very heartwarming and also make us look at Publix in a lighthearted way. Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rwPInEIkVS0

There are several ways to strike an emotional chord with audiences. Today’s consumer requires a deeper connection to the brand that they are supporting more than ever before. Social Media and the internet have made today’s consumer much more aware (i.e. informationally, socially etc) and therefore requiring brands to find ways to improve their connection with their targeted audience in much more creative ways. Therefore, I feel that surprise, Playfulness, and Inspiration are great ways to strike an emotional chord with the targeted audience.

Surprises are a great way to strike an emotional chord because it not only gives the audience a great way to remember the ad and the company who is sponsoring it, but it can oftentimes spark nostalgia. For instance, MasterCard surprised of its customers with a personal visit from Justin Timberlake. Justin surprised her at her home and spent the day with her and getting to know her as a person. That type of interaction can bleed into the overall image for the brand and leave consumers with warm feelings of the brand.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CYMY8RudPJw

Playfulness is always a great way to strike an emotional chord with targeted audiences. Playfulness and humor are perhaps the most popular ways to get a deeper connection with an audience. For instance the AT&T Commercial with Grant Hill’s college and professional basketball experience being downplayed by the store clerk who only had Junior Varsity basketball experience. That type of understated humor can lead to a great connection with the targeted audience and will always be remembered.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sRSjAbLHzRE

Finally inspiration can be very effective in striking an emotional chord with customers. Everyone faces struggles in their lives and everyone needs inspiration at some point. Therefore, consumers tend to support brands which inspire them in many different ways or also inspire others. For instance the commercial from Guiness where the men in wheelchairs are playing a spirited game of basketball only to find out that they all played in wheelchairs in order to let their disabled friend be included. Deep down, this strikes a chord on everyones heart and consumers tend to associate this image with the brand.

So what other ways do you think content can strike an emotional chord with targeted audiences?

Commonality and transparency are important factors of content that can strike an emotional chord with targeted audiences.

When it comes to emotional content, or storytelling, commonality and transparency must be established as the more relatable the material, the more traction it will get.
Just recently, a YouTube video went viral almost immediately after it was posted. The video is of a girl (Molly Kate Kestner, His Daughter) singing a song, on a cracked IPhone, written by her in a quick minute. Why the traction? Perhaps it’s because its raw and truthful (transparent), and more important, it touches on a common emotion shared by many, expressed not too often through a medium like music, that strikes an emotional chord with its targeted audience. The message is short, powerful, and right through to the point. A tear in two minutes is a gold mine amidst the content overload of today’s reader. Check out the video with the link below.

“SHIPPING” sums up all the emotional chords that target audiences. Using these general emotions can be safe because they can apply to any culture, gender, and age. From babies to grandparents, emotions touch us all.

The element of surprise is successful in almost any instance, whether it is in combat or even as a marketing tactic. Beyonce will always be idolized for the way she surprised her fans with her latest album, not only because no one knew about it, but also because she had music videos to go with every song on her CD.

Empathy also goes a long way as it creates a sense of togetherness. People love to feel as though they belong to something, or even someone. While humanizing is an excellent emotion that can be used to target audiences, what about dehumanizing?

I have noticed in recent years and with the evolution of social media, that people have become more insecure. Individuals now spend hours per day on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook not only to socialize, but to see what other people think about their pictures, posts, and comments. Inspiration allows people to aim higher and do better. For example, I have seen many people post their healthy habits, exercise routines, and other fitness regimes online as a way to motivate others to live better lives. I have also noticed many words of encouragement which has been successful for people to receive more “likes” on their social profiles.

Anything having to do with family will always triumph because people are able relate to family ties and relations. Puppy love is another emotion that everyone can relate to because they have encountered these feelings at one point of their lives.

With that being said, any emotion can target any audience, however will it attract the buyer to the brand is the main question?

So what other ways do you think content can strike an emotional chord with targeted audiences?

I feel the best way to strike an emotional chord with targeted audiences is by humanizing the brand. I feel that s-h-i-p-p-i-n-g captures a lot of the human elements of the brand. I remember when Dominos re-branded themselves. There commercials were honest and showed how vulnerable the brand can really be. It also showed they were willing to make changes and grow as well as listen. After this campaign and re-branding, sales for Dominos went up.

When a consumer sees a brand as someone they can talk to, a person next door, a friend, it really hits home for them. S-h-i-p-p-i-n-g captures the essence of this. In this day in age, with everything being recorded and news coming into our phones and tablets in real time, consumers are looking for a different connection.

So what other ways do you think content can strike an emotional chord with targeted audiences?

I believe that different companies can strike a different emotional cord depending on the product or service they are offering. If the company is selling something that most people normally dread, then it is probably a better idea to advertise in a fun, playful, or surprising way which is most likely going to be a completely new approach than what the current competition is doing. Now, if your competition is currently advertising its products with motivation, generosity, and passion, then by using another approach using humor or surprise will help you differentiate yourself and catch your viewers attention.
Any of these approaches can strike an emotional cord, you simply need to be creative, and unique. The more extreme you are with any one of these categories, the more viewers will be impressed and will want to share this content with others. Society enjoys watching videos that make then laugh, cry, be fearful, feel inspired, get motivated, or feel as if they can contribute and do good to others. It is the act of feeling that strikes different emotional chords in different people. The more you can touch people’s hearts with a short video, the more memorable it will be. People now-a-days like short and simple videos that blow their minds and inspires them. The more unexpected the advertising is, the more it will hook and engage the viewer. If a company can even strike a few emotional chords all in one video, the more powerful the message will get across.

I believe SHIPPING content is very powerful and useful when creating a strong and long-lasting connection between a brand and its audience and/or potential customers. Creating content that promotes an emotional chord is becoming essential to standout from all the surrounding noisy advertising environment. Marketers have noticed that creating content that arouse emotions is helping in promoting recall, attachment, and loyalty to the brand. However, storytelling content is becoming epidemic on the internet and this is why brands needs to come up with innovative and interesting ways to distinguish themselves from others, moreover, they need to be able to create an emotional connection on its audience by intensifying the impact of their content.

I believe that the most effective way to strike an emotional chord with targeted audience is creating content that inspires people to be better, either professionally or personally. Positive motivation always stays in the minds of people as a reminder that we could always do better and we can easily relate that kind of feeling with our day to day life style, goals and wishes and dreams. Nevertheless, I don’t think is a good idea to generalize too much what kind of content people may find interesting and what kind of feelings people may appeal with. On the contrary, marketers should take into account more deeply what are the characteristics that specifically differentiate their targets. For example, if Timberland is trying to create an emotional bond with its audience, they are more likely to create contents that arise sentiments of freedom, adventure, overcoming limits, because Timberland’s target are more likely to be interested in exploring the nature, and this type of things. We can find the motivation and inspiration impulse that I mentioned before here, but targeted more specific in order to easily reach and connect with the audience.

The reason for emotionalizing this content on its way for delivery is to get it ready for a surprise discovery or something that moves us. Once opened, it needs to get your audience excited enough to digest it, share it, remember it, and most of all, create one more sentimental attachment to you or your brand.
S-H-I-P-P-I-N-G as a memorable acronym. content marketers and researchers seem to agree that emotions associated with viral content have the following attributes
They are personal, visual or inspiring in nature, get audiences to know like and trust us, entertain with humor, games or stories and reflect positive or negative conditions or emotions.
Marketers utilize holidays to market their products because some holidays are significant in most cultures. So they utilize this time to tug at the emotions. The following video for the IPhone is a prime example of this.

What it is saying to the audience is that I have usability, creativity and innovative. Users or potential users will remember always how a brand or product made them feel and because we purchase based on our emotions, this is a way to present your brand.

So what other ways do you think content can strike an emotional chord with targeted audiences?

Striking an emotion chord with target audiences is something that every business and company should be focusing on. There are so many different ways to do it that it only makes sense to make full use of it. People are very emotional and everyone has had both good and bad experiences in their lives. By connecting on different levels customers are more inclined to remember a company and use their services. If a customer (or potential customer) feels inspired or more human they are likely to make the purchase or spend the money. A good example of this is when non-profit organizations want to people to make donations. The commercials are always sad, depressing and they give a sense of guilt to the viewers so that they feel obligated to donate.

Companies also can use other strategies like exceptional customer service to attract customers and keep them excited and interested. This is especially important and effective with online shopping. Personally when I am looking to purchase something from a new store, I always check the return policy. I want to know that I can make returns either free or at a reasonable cost. Having numbers to call to speak with live people, having online chat and quick email response are also important to new customers. It helps to put customers at ease and give them a larger sense of security. Good discounts and free shipping also help to get customers excited about shopping.

So what other ways do you think content can strike an emotional chord with targeted audiences?

I think that content that strikes an emotional chord with its targeted audience, regardless of the techniques used, is one of the most powerful ways to engage the audience. The S-H-I-P-P-I-N-G model gives numerous examples of the different ways that a marketer can strike an emotional connection with the audience whether it be through the element of SURPRISE, INSPIRATION, PLAYFULNESS in the form of humor and PASSION in the form of compassion, just to name a few. I think the S-H-I-P-P-I-N-G model encompasses all of the ways to strike that emotional connection with the audience that will engage them and will make the message one that is memorable.

In my opinion, I think the element of surprise, inspiration and motivation are the strongest ways to strike this emotional connection with the audience. I think the element of surprise may strike a connection in a more superficial way that other techniques but it adds an element of surprise that “wows” the audience and attracts them in an entertaining way. This emotional connection is more entertaining that sentimental or inspirational. Virgin America did a spectacular job tackling this element of surprise through their safety video. Videos that offer that inspirational message, as well as motivational content strike a strong emotional connection that tugs at the heart and impacts the audience in a very powerful way. Nike has always done a great job at creating commercials that show how people overcome their obstacles and motivate the audience to “strive for greatness”, to be better. While mainly targeted to athletes, as a non athlete, I am always moved, motivated and am able to establish a strong emotional connection with Nike commercials through their powerful inspiration and motivation message.

Dove real beauty sketches, a fairly new video and campaign movement, did a fantastic job at creating a strong and powerful emotional connection with its audience; women worldwide. When I first saw the Dove real beauty sketches campaign, I was moved to tears. I consider myself a pretty confident person and even then, to see how women are so critical on themselves and have such little confidence in their beauty made me feel compassion for them. I think Dove used so many elements in their campaign to create the emotional connection, including the element of surprise, compassion, inspiration and motivation, that it made it all that much more powerful and successful among their audience. I don’t think there is one woman that did not connect emotionally with that campaign.

The best way to strike an emotional chord with a targeted audience is to create a connection with that audience and in order to create a connection you have to a sense of commonality or a shared bond. We have common experiences in life, in relationships and in our professional lives. It is our common experience that we can share or relate to others that is used as an adhesive to form relationships with others and solidify your connection. However forming a relationship with your targeted audience also requires emotions and it is these emotions; joy, pain, fear, sadness and surprise that help you to reach your targeted audience. Using emotions as a marketing strategy is kind of tricky because the one thing you must do is be genuine. If the targeted audience feels that the connection that you are trying to forge is not authentic then you can end up alienating your audience rather than building a relationship with them. Making sure that your audience feels that your connection with them is real is so important because we all know what it feels like to be used and some of us are more forgiving than others, so it would not be wise to make your audience feel like you are using them. Keep your communication with the targeted audience simple and to the point. Talking circles around your audience or giving them too much information will only lead to pushing them away, having them to turn off the ad or change video clip. Keeping the content entertaining, informative and emotionally satisfying will help to keep the attention of the audience just long enough to inform them of the brand’s value. By doing so, this will create the bond between the consumer and the brand, and lead to a long lasting relationship between the two.

So what other ways do you think content can strike an emotional chord with targeted audiences?
The use of storytelling to evoke emotion on a relatable level is a powerful strategy to capture the attention of an audience. An audience loves a great story, and what better way to effectively communicate a message than to portray content that speaks to the consumer through the use of an identifiable and engaging story?

In this spot, a little boy is caught stealing medicine from a shop so that he can help his sick mother. The boy is being scolded by the shop keeper when the owner of the restaurant nearby buys the medicine for the boy to give to his mom and has his daughter fetch a free bowl of vegetable soup for him to take as well. The boy runs off after shamefully glancing at the restaurant owner. The spot then fast forwards 30 years and it shows the restaurant owner has fallen sick and his daughter is left with the burden of caring for him and paying for all of his medical needs. It’s then shown that the doctor taking care of him is actually the same little boy that man once helped 30 years ago. The doctor takes care of all of the bills and works hard to save the man as a sign of pure gratitude.

This campaign’s messaging is effective as the story it’s telling is one that anybody can relate to. The audience identifies with the scenario of having a family member who is sick—that feeling of helplessness and sheer fright/despair. The entire spot is engaging as the audience awaits the ending of the story—hopeful for a happy ending. The marketer here effectively communicated its message as the goal of capturing an audience’s attention was achieved by telling an emotional, relatable story. Marketers can utilize this strategy by telling a story in a variety of relatable scenarios. Revealing a campaign’s intended message at the end of the spot after the audience is completely engaged is a powerful strategy that can be very effective in targeting consumers. Understanding your target market is key in order to properly strategize what story to tell.

Most of the popular commercials, ones that attract the most attention, are popular because they stroke an emotional chord with their targeted audiences. For me personally, I would be more attracted by a commercial that shows me why I should purchase the product by striking an emotional chord, whether it’s through surprise or some other emotion rather than a commercial that only educates me about the product. However, for a brad to be successful in striking an emotional chord with their target audience they must conduct research to better understand their audience thus finding the best way to strike that emotional chord.

I believe that once a brand is able to relate to their audiences that they will be able to strike an emotional chord with them. Some examples of ways content can strike an emotional chord with their targeted audiences are:

• My Tide Detergent Commercial – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d2SRG8OqNqA .
Tide brand understands that the majority of their audience is moms and this commercial definitely strikes an emotional chord with moms. Being a mom with a little girl I am able to relate to the mom in the commercial.

Emotions are what make commercials memorable. The emotion of humor is one of my favorites being used in advertising currently. You see humor in insurance commercials like Geico and State Farm, commercials for Vegas and even commercials for butter. I loved the example of Virgin America using humor and musical theater to create a very interesting safty video. The example also reminded me of Deltas most recent safety video posted below:

Playing to the emotions is a very effective way of drawing in consumers and advertising your brand, because simply put, humans are emotional by nature and react to this sort of thing. This blog post dug pretty deep into the different ways to strike an emotional chord with consumers, and I can place each and every one with an advertisement that I have seen (clearly showing that marketers use this tactic regularly). To add to the list of methods, any combination of the SHIPPING methods is also an effective way to portray emotion and engage the audience.

My favorite method is the Surprise method with the flash mobs and pranks. The coffee shop prank was hilarious when it first went viral, and I enjoyed watching it again now in reading this post. Another method would fit into the Surprise category with unexpected happy endings. There are many commercials that start off with a defeated character and the audience cannot see a way out of it for them; however, the unexpected happens and the character ends up in a happy situation. An example of this is this commercial for Pfizer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K6fSETphe4A where as a viewer we do not think this can end well for the boy. The mother looks disappointed when he arrives home and we then see him beside a hospital bed. However, the ending shows graffiti that he painted for who we assume to be his little sister to make her happier. Although a sad circumstance that tugs at our heartstrings, it’s a happy outcome, even for a moment, to see the joy on the little girl’s face which tugs at us even more.

Content can strike an emotional chord in so many ways and many have proven to be very effective. Whether the content features stories that are humorous, sentimental or even inspiring, it has a way of capturing audiences’ attention. Having a sentimental aspect can really hit home for many viewers. People like to reminisce and relate to something that happened in their past. Many times a commercial will feature a family type situation where it is meant to strike viewers as sentimental and bring tears or laughter.

Humanizing brands have been a common practice recently and it is another way that brands have been able to connect on a more personal level with their audience. Consumers don’t always want to be sold to; they want the brand to value them and their opinion. By investing time and resources to humanize a brand, brands will make out better in the long run resulting hopefully in customer loyalty and referrals. When a consumer has affinity towards a brand, they resonate well with it in some way. Whether it suits their needs or wants, it is their brand of choice and every brand show strive for this. For example, when brands humanize themselves via social media, they implement a quick response time for customer service issues or people talking to them. The quicker the response time, the more the user will feel like the brand cares and they might be able to retain them as a customer even if the customer is complaining.

Content in general should strike an emotional chord because that is what draws them in to engage with and continue to engage with a brand. Content should give the audience a chance to learn, engage, relate and share feedback. A brand can have several audiences and it is important that the brand takes the time to accommodate each audience. Not every piece of content will strike an emotional chord with every viewer but it is important for a brand to tailor their content to different groups, giving a variety of engaging content to evoke excitement and emotion amongst their audience.

A brand like Red Bull has done a great job with their content striking an emotional chord. This is an energy drink brand that has used their “Red Bull Gives You Wings” as the basis of all of their content. They have some of the most inspiring content out there, from their commercials to their imagery on social media; they have transformed their brand into something extraordinary. Red Bull partners with extreme sports, highlighting those individuals that have amazing talent and using them as inspiration for their audience. This is a great example of a brand that has humanized itself and created an emotional connection with not only their consumers but their online audience as well.

I don’t know how I can top any of the categories in the fabulous S-H-I-P-P-I-N-G diagram mentioned in the blog! However, one thing that comes to mind that could be added is the realm of the Supernatural. I think this could fall under the Imagery category. There are tons of people out there that are interested in the Supernatural. I think if companies could pull this concept into their advertising it could attract a lot of viewers. Similar to the telekinesis prank the coffee shop pulled on its customers. They could use aliens, zombies, witches, UFO’s etc. Lets grab those Sci-Fi lovers!

I’ve seen a few examples of this in commercials today. One of them is a Sprint commercial where a zombie comes in to buy a phone plan. They have a conversation discussing the phone plan and the whole time the zombie tries to avoid the term “zombie.” When the Sprint employee refers to him as a zombie he tells her not to go put labels on people. His ear ends up falling off at the end of the commercial and he admits to being a zombie. I think this zombie theme came from the popular show The Walking Dead.

The best way to strike an emotional cord with your target audience is to understand them and connect on a personal level, I think this comes from doing demographic research, then you understand their preferences, dislikes and those that they are indifferent. Then, from understanding your audience and target market, you need to understand the product; The attitude of the commercial needs to match that of your audience and the product. Like the commercial for Heineken where you see the women celebrating a huge walk-in closet, then it pans over to the men screaming excitedly about their friends walk in cooler fully stocked with Heineken. It was a great ad, it appealed to men and women, because it is a social stereotype for women to love a huge walk in closet and for the men to be indifferent about it; then it was funny because a guy would love their own walk in cooler stocked with their favorite beer. And, it was funny for both sides because it poked fun at both groups of people, on a personal level and it was light hearted and fun which matched their product, beer.

The above blog contained so many good ways to strike an emotional chord with targeted audiences. What is significant about all of the presented commercials and material is that the human senses (sight and sound) are always involved in the goal oriented process of achieving emotional reactions with targeted audiences.

However, there are other ways and means in which content can pull human emotional strings, some of which are currently emerging through technology. As the blog mentioned, 3D virtual reality brings into play “a new level of content interaction”. Somewhat similar to this idea is the notion of content change, which is based on viewer input results. Content that can be programmed to change on the spot according to emotional responses received from viewers is a tremendous way of effectively striking emotional reactions, and undoubtedly soon to be seen in advertising. Though content interaction of this kind in the U.S. has not yet reached nor been utilized in its fullest potential in advertising, its usage has become possible due to the currently existing underlying infrastructure that supports it. The newer SmartTVs, computers, tablets and smartphones for example are coming equipped with cameras, microphones, and software that recognize human gestures, voice and facial expressions. According to the individual’s expression input that gets captured and analyzed, an ad can change to spark a more intense emotional response. Nviso, S.A. is currently involved in this area of marketing (see http://www.nviso.ch/ ). It is perceived that the changed outcome of ads would be handled somewhat similar to the way some TV shows alter the last scene(s) of an episode to suit an audience’s on-the-spot responses, which they inputted online. Like what would happen when utilizing an underlying computer programmed “IF / THEN” statement, the last scene of a show would be changed to satisfy the audience’s desire, thus striking a deeper connection with viewers. The only difference with ads though is the scenes and/or intensities of the commercials would change according to expression inputs received. This does intensify and personalize content interaction. It also has the potential to deepen relationships with current and prospective customers.

Additionally, 3D software and hardware technologies are becoming more prolific amongst individual consumers. Therefore, it is foreseen that utilization of 3D in commercials could be another way to strike deep emotional chords with targeted audiences. When 3D technology is handled correctly and effectively, the sense of being there live on the set of the 3D commercial would get so intense it seems like more human senses (ex. touch) are in action than just sight and sound. This kind of rendering would thus hit deeper emotional chords with intended audiences than the currently used 2D image renderings.

The above blog contained so many good ways to strike an emotional chord with targeted audiences. What is significant about all of the presented commercials and material is that the human senses (sight and sound) are always involved in the goal oriented process of achieving emotional reactions with targeted audiences.

However, there are other ways and means in which content can pull human emotional strings, some of which are currently emerging through technology. As the blog mentioned, 3D virtual reality brings into play “a new level of content interaction”. Somewhat similar to this idea is the notion of content change, which is based on viewer input results. Content that can be programmed to change on the spot according to emotional responses received from viewers is a tremendous way of effectively striking emotional reactions, and predicted to soon to be seen in advertising. Though content interaction of this kind in the U.S. has not yet reached nor been utilized in its fullest potential in advertising, its utilization has become possible due to the currently existing underlying infrastructure that supports it. The newer SmartTVs, computers, tablets and smartphones for example are coming equipped with cameras, microphones, and software that recognize human gestures, voice and facial expressions. According to the individual expression input that’s captured, an ad can change to spark a more intense emotional response. Nviso, S.A. is currently involved in this area of marketing (see http://www.nviso.ch/ ). It is perceived that the changed outcome of ads would be handled somewhat similar to the way some TV shows alter the last scene(s) of an episode to suit an audience’s on-the-spot responses, which they inputted online. Like what would happen when utilizing an underlying computer programmed “IF / THEN” statement, the last scene of a show would be changed to satisfy the audience’s desire, thus striking a deeper connection with viewers. The only difference with ads though is the scenes and/or intensities of the commercials would change according to expression inputs received. This does intensify and personalize content interaction. It also has the potential to deepen relationships with current and prospective customers.

Additionally, 3D software and hardware technologies are becoming more prolific amongst individual consumers. Therefore, it is foreseen that utilization of 3D in commercials could be another way to strike deep emotional chords with targeted audiences. When 3D technology is handled correctly and effectively, the sense of being there live on the set of the 3D commercial would get so intense it seems like more human senses (ex. touch) are in action than just sight and sound. This kind of rendering would thus hit deeper emotional chords with intended audiences than the currently used 2D image renderings.

In the fitness industry, we use the traditional “before and after” concept to trigger an emotional response in our target audience and find that its success rate is incredibly high. We take an athlete and show them in their “before” state via pictures, videos and text, and then show them in their “after” state to show the progress. We interview the athlete and ask them to share their experience with the world. We ask them to divulge as much information as possible about their journey and get to the heart of the matter: how they feel now versus how they felt then. By sharing the success story of one athlete, we accomplish two very important tasks: we praise the athlete who succeeded and we inspire other athletes to want to change as well. Our target audience lives in the world of possibility, and we encourage them through showing them that the possibility can turn into a very attainable reality.

There are some major pieces to the “before and after” puzzle that must be in place in order for the marketing objective to work. The first piece is that it must be told like a story. This is not simply a picture of a non-smiling, overweight person on the left and the happy, fit version of them on the right; it’s a story of triumph, success, obstacles and glory. The picture is the visual effect, but the words are there to evoke an emotional response and get the audience connected to the person in the picture. The second piece is that it must be authentic. The picture has to be authentic (no photoshop) and so do the words. In order for the audience to be emotionally connected to this story, they have to feel like this really, truly happened and that it could really, truly happen to them, too. It is important, therefore, that the person writing the story had an integral role in the process and can speak from a place of genuineness. Lastly, the third piece that must be in place is a foundation of love on which the story is built. Our audience is smart. They know that the fitness industry has very cleverly gotten them to sign up for challenges and memberships and subscriptions, all of which promise the world, but oftentimes fall quite short. As the audience is becoming increasingly skeptical of all of the available options, they are also excited and surprised when they see something that clearly is grounded in love. When they read a before and after story where the words are authentic, the picture is real, and the intent is clear, they know that the love is there, and they are willing to trust the company and put their skepticism aside. And love is something that cannot be faked; the company must truly be passionate about it’s service and have a real love for their business in order for the story to have any chance of connecting to the audience in a big way.

I think the SHIPPING acronym covers the most important ways that marketers can strike an emotional chord with their targeted audiences. However, there is one less obvious approach that I don’t exactly know how to name; I think Relevant or REAL are the closest I can come to giving the method a name. By REAL (or relevant) I mean that the marketer finds a way to not only humanize (or give their brand a personality) but that they connect their brand with actual customers.

Walmart did a fabulous job with this concept in their The Real Walmart campaign. In this campaign, Walmart connected not only their brand with customers, but they also connected it with their employees, and with their supply chain activities. In doing so, they made the brand, Walmart, look REAL!

This first video advertisement demonstrates how Walmart isn’t just an everyday low price leader, but that they have shoppers from all walks of life.

After all that, Walmart has successfully shown how every aspect of their business, from an operations standpoint, to an employee’s standpoint and finally all the way to REAL customer’s perspectives, just how much of an AMERICAN success story they are and that they create. If that doesn’t strike an emotional chord and make Walmart appear more of a friendly brand that you can trust, then I don’t know what will.

As SHIPPING content explains there are many ways to strike an emotional chord. SHIPPING explains the use of generosity, passion, imagery, among others to attract a targeted audience. Another way to attract an audience by striking an emotional chord is by presenting the audience with something memorable. Since the war on terrorism began companies have shown us commercials that represent patriotism, family, national unity, and so on. While we could find such commercials before the war began they now have more meaning. People like to feel a connection and often are drawn to brands that are not simply selling a product or service. Consumers are demanding companies go beyond traditional marketing methods and engage. Memorable advertisements tap into consumers’ hearts and often make them think about a time in which they can relate to. Brand awareness is all about making brands recognizable, in other words memorable. Whether it be a logo, slogan, or positioning brands tend to be more successful when consumers can identify with them. Striking an emotional chord through memorable moments can further create brand awareness as consumers will remember such advertisements therefore adding to brand equity.

I also believe that the best way to hit the home with an audience is to use emotional marketing. The eight parts of the SHIPPING technique of emotional content are: surprise, humanizing, inspiration, playfulness, passion, imagery, narratives, generosity. Another great way to grab the attention of an audience is by using honest and visually stimulating content by taking a jarring outcome of reality and throwing it in the viewer’s face. I specifically think of The Truth campaign, where they would take real smokers and show them suffering. By using this type of striking imagery and coupling it with the fact that the people are real not actors makes the ads brilliant but also disturbing and highly emotional. The images remain with the viewer long after the ad has ended. It connects with the viewer on some level because we all know someone that smokes and although we are told what can happen it is not as often staring us in the face. This campaign addresses a few of the eight aspects, humanizing, passion and inspiring.

I would say that we are a product of our emotions, or lack thereof. Our attitudes, interests, and behaviors are all psychological factors driven by emotions. They define us, and as a result audiences can be segmented based on their psychological characteristics. Impactful marketing is centered on engaging an audience’s emotions, in efforts to persuade and possibly alter these interests, behaviors, and attitudes. Human emotions are personal to each individual, hitting a deeper level of consciousness within. Having that ability to connect emotionally with an audience, to extract these deep feelings, is immeasurable, and return on marketing investments is much higher when companies are able to drive audiences through emotional connections.

S-H-I-P-P-I-N-G is a great acronym to sum the major attributes of emotional content. Almost every possible emotion I can conjure falls into one of the listed attributes or subcategories. Overall, efforts that drive positive emotions have the strongest impact. No matter the circumstances in our lives, we connect with things that put events into perspective and make us feel better about our environment or ourselves.

Another way that content can strike an emotional chord is by appealing directly to the physical senses of taste, touch, and smell. Emotions are attached to every perception, and while some preferences seem automatic, it’s an emotion that has shaped a preference. Our desire for specific tastes, smells, and textures are not exempt from emotions, and marketing still has the ability to drive audiences to recall positive emotions connected with these senses. I would say these emotional stimuli could fall under a larger attribute of enticement. Despite our inability to physically taste, smell, or touch in many advertisements, advertising can very persuasive through allusions that allow us emote by association. Successful enticement triggers a positive emotional reaction to try the product and still has the potential to go viral if creatively advertised.

So what other ways do you think content can strike an emotional chord with targeted audiences?

Another way content can strike an emotional chord would be through culture. Using culture as a means to attract audiences is fundamental in online or brick and mortar advertising. Niche/target/segmenting markets is the way to go when attempting to draw audiences in to purchase or view content. Everyone is apart of a demographic group, and messages that demonstrate something that you may relate to accomplished it’s goal. Identification is a great piece to add to emotional chords because it really works. If content strategically place distinct language, color, images with inferred meanings, and other design elements that appeal to its target cultural market, I believe that marketing products or services to these groups would be a piece of cake. Understanding cultural background is fundamental to traditional marketing and is also important online. Using myself as an example, I identify with cultural messages, I relate to advertisements where my culture is being represented in the message. For example, the McDonalds commercial that used African American families in commercials- I actually would sit and look at the McDonalds commercial where black people are acting in the advertisement than when another race is involved. Why? Because it was a positive portrayal of my culture on television and I feel like I would act the same way in the commercial. Hair, clothing, speech, and actions are all things that would draw my attention. An ad like this would make me go to McDonalds because they identified with me- it drew me in emotionally. In conclusion, cultural target marketing can strike an emotional chord with targeted audiences because it is satisfying and meets the needs and expectations of consumers.

The S-H-I-P-P-I-N-G acronym display in this blog does an amazing job to display each content category, ways in which brands can reach its customers by striking an emotional chord. Although the display pretty much says it all, I would add that when brands show personal achievements, it can reach viewers and emotionally connect with them. Showing content that displays hard work and endeavors, from the company, as well as displaying everyday customer achievements allow brands to step-out-the-box. It allows viewers to see that the company is not all about promoting just their brands and themselves, but they can recognize many customers and citizens as well. Companies, such as Chrysler, as well as Anheuser-Busch, have both displayed marketing content geared towards showing support towards the troops and having patriotism. Other companies, such as Dell and Target, have displayed marketing content during the spring time, geared towards commencement ceremonies and individuals graduating. This can emotionally connect with many people, because we all have been at that place before, and recognize the type of accomplishment it is, as well as the hard work it takes.
Another way would be to connect with viewers emotionally would be through the use of time. A brand showing how it came to be, how it struggled, how the obstacles it faced never took it out, and how they are successful, and in some cases, giving back through community service, is a great way to connect with their market emotionally. There is something about people helping other people that really allow us to become softened, and empathize to want to do better, or continue to give. It allow wants a customer or client to feel good to know they support that particular brand, because all the funds are not just going to the executives, but rolling back into the company, as well as the community. If a brand can show what it has gone through to make it to where it is, it connects with viewers and customers in a way to remind everyone to never give up.
When companies can build their brand around this technique, it allows them to gain the respect of not just the public, but also of other brands as well. Using any of the S-H-I-P-P-I-N-G methods, correctly, can become an effective way to gain the support needed to stay on top of their industry, as well as have customers, viewers and perspectives feel both comfortable, and confident, giving their support. It takes a lot of focus off the product and what the company has to offer, and puts some of the weight on “what is the company about”.

In order to strike an emotional chord with a targeted audience, the advertisers must understand their target people, know what they like and dislike, to what stimulus (here Ad) will they respond. The S-H-I-P-P-I-N-G explained above already states all the major ways to stimulate an emotional chord with the viewer’s being through laughter’s, tears, inspiration, humanization or else. In my opinion other ways to stimulate the emotional chord of potential or returning customers (here viewers of the ad), would be: life experience, such as struggle in life, how people made it through. It is similar to inspiration but inspiration could simply be the example of an athlete defeating another athlete thanks to his new version of the Nike shoes. Instead here we are talking about struggles, how people overcome their problems and succeed to move forward even though nothing would help them, but this product. An excellent example would be young kids and adults in a poor region of the world, dying and struggling to make ends meet, and to live a decent life, having their life becoming better thanks to Nestlé’s water, or thanks to Uncle Ben’s rice (just examples here). When people even if they cannot relate this to their personal life, will be moved by these images and it will touch an emotional chord.

Another way would be to use technology to enlighten us or to help us here again move forward. If a man has no legs and cannot move, he is in a sitting chair, and that GE shows us that he can get his life back, play again with his children thanks to GE’s technology giving him plastic or electrical legs; this will most definitely touch an emotional chord.
Similar to luxury advertising, even if luxury brand rarely advertise on television, the concept here would be similar: making people feel unique. Indeed, giving people the feeling of being unique, of being able to have this object, or product that will make them seen and respected, and unique is an excellent way to touch emotional chord.
Another way that is not often used, but which in the United States has been proven to work is the use of the Military. Indeed, when displaying soldiers on television, ads often catches viewers’ attention, due to the respect, the feeling of love, respect, and admiration for the men defending this country. It is another way to use the emotional chord of the viewers. Indeed, using a soldiers who is coming back from war and his daughter is waiting for him is an excellent way to touch emotional chord of the viewers.
Letting customers be part of the developing process of the product, or having customers helping to improve products for a company is always an good way to use emotional chord. Customers feel helpful, proud, needed, and above all, they feel they are important for the companies. It is important not to lose focus of the customers, their tastes, likes and dislikes.
The use of family is also another way to achieve emotion; it always brings memory of touch an emotional chord when you see young children playing with their grandparents, and these grandparents baking them cookies. I believe that elderly people are not very present in the market place nowadays, even though they have money to spend (not always a lot, but always enough for their grandchildren). The use of family reunions, grandparents, and grandchildren is a good way to stimulate the emotional chord of the viewer’s bringing them memories.

In my opinion, using emotion is the best way to achieve customers’ attention, and to be remained in this noisy advertising environment. It is not really possible to say there is a better way of performing it or not, because in order to stimulate the emotional chord of the customers, it depends on who are the customers and what product is to be sold to them. Every customer is different, and every product has its customers, with their likes and dislikes. A way a stimulating emotional discord might be excellent for a brand, and very bad for another. I believe that there are many ways to achieve the stimulation of the emotional chord of the viewers, and it just depends on the situation, and customers that the brand has.

The main other way to stress and stimulate the viewer’s emotional chords apart from the very well developed: S-H-I-P-P-I-N-G would be: family, the use of hope, the use of guilt, romance, life struggle, uniqueness of the customers, making the customers part of the process, helping technology, the use of military, etc.
Again, there are many ways to use emotion, it only depends on the brand and marketing departments to find out what will stimulate their customers’ emotional chord for their particular product.

Big brands have the financial capabilities to create video content that ranks high in production value and distribution (through paid Facebook postings for example). The Jet Blue Christmas video for example, is extremely engaging and garnered millions of views on YouTube, but the production costs that went into this marketing effort are beyond the means of small or medium sized businesses. Small to medium sized businesses however should not shy away from creating content nor from believing that it can reach large audiences and perhaps even go viral. Having a limited budget simply requires that small or medium sized businesses are exponentially more creative than large corporations, because only content that ranks high in all the SHIPPING categories will stand a chance of standing out amongst the overwhelming amount of “smart” videos competing for the consumer’s attention. Businesses such as COIN or Dollar Shave Club have done a good job at creating modest yet engaging videos that effectively rival large productions by their conglomerate competitors. I remember the video for COIN kept showing up on my Facebook newsfeed for weeks because my friends kept liking and sharing it. The video showcased a man whom I took to be one of the inventors of, COIN a card (similar to any debit or credit card) with the capabilities of syncing all your cards in one, providing users the comfort of carrying around a single card as opposed to a wallet full of them. The COIN video was surprising because of the nature of the product and the average Joe look of the main character, which also gave the company a “face” and humanized the content. Dollar Shave has hilarious written content on their website, and they have over half a million likes on their Facebook fan page. One of their strategic sales pitches awards users a $5 credit with Dollar shave every time they subscribe a friend to the Dollar Shave Club, a quote following the offer reads “1000 friends gets you 83 years of free razors… and if you live longer than that, bravo, we’ll be happy to keep sending,” I couldn’t help smiling and feeling like I wanted to be part of the Dollar Shave Club. Both COIN and Dollar Shave Club are probably in the midst of stepping past the medium sized business category, however the brand personality is evident and deeply engrained, a trait that would not be as apparent today had the business not relied on the principles of SHIPPING content.

So what other ways do you think content can strike an emotional chord with targeted audiences?
Emotional moments are what make commercials and ads so memorable to viewers, ads that tell a story and ads that are easy to make connections with. In order for companies to effectively garner attention from consumers, it is essential that they tap into their emotions in an effort to evoke positive feelings towards the company and their products as a way to gain their business, trust and loyalty. It would be an easy connection to tell their stories of sadness and triumph while promoting their product. They could send a message of hope and the consumer could see that they are the same too and we are all connected. Emotions are a great way to inspire the masses. We all feel different things at different moments in our lives. Marketers could also strike an emotional cord through a powerful commercial with a deep, thought provoking concept of life. the same can be done with marketing a product or service, tie an emotional connection to it and you instantly have a known-brand.

Most of the shoppers today are women and women are very emotional when it comes to shopping. I can justify that by seeing how women admire colors. This is the reason why when marketers want to invent a product, their came-up with a bright colors just for attract women. Another ways I think content can strike on emotional chord is to use a new strategy like Zappos that allows their customers to try it product for at least 365 days. If content is a service provider, it could strike its customers with buy one and get one free.
There are a tremendous ways to strike your target audiences it depend on the type of business that you are handling. The musical movement in Banco Sabadell was T-Mobile let musicians all over the place sang an amazing sung that portray the incredible vision from the people to the company. Airline companies use the method of rewarding their customers with key mile that enable them to reduce on ticket price or having a free travel ticket.
Social content marketing impressed people with surprise and other musical performance. The next generation may imagine another way that could compare the astonish inspiration their have for the time being to a new trend. But it is really impressive and attractive to gain the customer insight to sell a product. In fact other ways better than what I proposed may not exist yet. I think they did tremendous jobs by using different strategies to implementing customers in content marketing.

There are many ways that marketers utilize consumer’s emotions in order to build a relationship or leave a lasting impression. The main emotions that are used are surprise, humanizing, inspiration, playfulness, passion, imagery, narratives and generosity. Striking an emotional chord has been seen to be very effective in drawing in consumer attention. Many have seen tear-inducing commercials on television that cause many to change the channel, but some organizations have upped the ante and promoted their cause through striking visual campaigns that are hard to miss. The emotional chord doesn’t necessarily have to be a sad or negative one it can also be romantic, happy, angry etc. One thing a company has to be careful of is not becoming too emotional. Sometimes if something becomes too emotional it will either be lame or will impact the audience negatively. This strategy tends to be popular with non-profit and charitable organizations, and for good reason. Often seeking to draw attention to terrible conditions and situations, this kind of marketing invokes sympathy and advocates for all sorts of victims of dreadful circumstances. Alot of fitness commercials can strike an emotional chord to start working out and get motivated.

Content can strike an emotion chord with targeted audiences by causing them to go down memory lane. Flash back content that directly relate to the audience can bring them to a place that they remember personal experiences from the past. As people reminiscence on past event, they can become very emotional, especial if it involves dramatic happenings. Recently I watched a video dedicated to those that grew up in the 90’s in America. I found myself really connecting because the images shown cause me to remember things from the past in my life because I grew up in America in that time. I laughed when I saw an image of a chia pet because I remember asking my parents for one because I thought it was so cool.

Also, content can strike an emotional chord with targeted audiences through romance. The targeted audiences that are currently, were previously or are looking to be in a romantic relationship will appeal to heart felt or humorous moments projected from their own personal reference point. Romance is full of passion and emotion that are hard for humans to surpass or deny. For example showing an older married couple that have been there for one another through thick and thin yet still have their fire burning for one another can really cause some to be emotional. There is a direct connect to those who hope to fine that one right life companion that they can spend the rest of their life with, and divorce not be an option. Romantic scenes are universal, as they have a way of stirring up emotions on the inside.

I think striking an emotional chord is one of the most effective ways to market certain products and services. Some great examples of products that can use emotional marketing techniques include:
Vehicles
Baby Products (Monitors, Cribs, Bath Products, Car Seats)
Computers
Easy Dinner Products (Example- Frozen Family Lasagna)
Sport Watches/Heart Rate Monitors
Televisions

There are just too many to list them all.

The truth is, if a company is marketing to consumers striking an emotional chord can be a key marketing tactic. Above all we are humans and that means that if we can relate to a commercial or advertisement there is a good chance we will be compelled to make a purchase. Vehicle companies for example can use passion as a marketing tactic. A 4×4 vehicle make can show a man chasing his passion for snowboarding and being able to get to the most difficult (and adrenaline-filled) areas thanks his vehicle.
Baby products use emotions for advertising all the time. If a baby monitor company wants to advertise to mothers and mothers-to-be they can put a mother lying in bed on a commercial who suddenly hears her baby cry. The mother then quickly goes into the room and picks up her baby and holds it close. She feeds the baby and sings it a lullaby until it falls asleep. A commercial that simple shows that the baby monitor company understands that mothers worry about their babies and want to always make sure they are okay. Mothers will feel compelled to purchase the product because they feel it will help them be aware of when their babies are crying and need them. A baby car seat company on the other hand, can use emotions in a different way. The car seat company’s commercial can show a family in a car that experiences a car accident. The dad then looks back and sees that even though the baby is crying because it was startled by the noise it was completely fine, not even a scratch on it.
Sports watches and heart rate monitors can also use emotion. They can show individuals working out who are about to give up and look at their watch or heart rate monitor and see that they are in their target heart rate. By seeing this it gives them the inspiration and pushes them to keep going until the end of the block.
Appealing to consumer emotion is a strong way to market products and services and I feel this method will continue being successful for years to come.

Striking an emotional cord with an audience is very essential in marketing a product. A customer is more likely to purchase a product if they connect with it on an emotional level, not just a needs level. In order to really bring out an audience’s emotions, the advertisement needs to be relatable. If an advertisement can paint a picture in the audience’s imagination that can help the audience member connect the product with their life, the advertisement is successful.

A good example of an emotional commercial is one that features a car and a family. The commercial appeals to parents because it features a daughter learning how to drive a car. The car is super safe and at the end it says “whatever it is, make sure you’re prepared.” This commercial appeals to the emotions of parents wanting their children to be safe while drive. This is definitely one way to strike an emotional chord with the audience.

One thing a company has to be careful of is not becoming too emotional. Sometimes if something becomes too emotional it will either be lame or will impact the audience negatively. Crossing the line could induce negative memories and will therefore tie negative thoughts and emotions to the customer, making them less likely to buy the product being advertised.

Consumers don’t buy based on what they might be considering, but what they’re feeling. If you want to connect with your consumers’ senses, appeal to their imagination. Helping them imagine an experience with your products or services. Advertising research reveals that emotional reactions to an ad has greater influence on a consumer’s intent to buy an advertising (more than the ad’s content) Positive emotions toward a brand have a far bigger influence on consumer loyalty than trust and other assessments.
Making sure your brand personality has attributes that distinguish them from other companies. Attributes that are relatable with your customers. This in turn will create positive emotions in the customer’s eyes. Your likability with the consumers will help determine if they buy your products or services. Companies should engage them with powerful messages that reflect their company’s attributes, but at the same time, don’t emphasize on trying to sell the brand. Depending on the company, marketers should advertise based on what emotions they are trying to reflect on the company.
A new product that’s not yet out, like the iPhone 6, marketers can come up with ads that stir up curiosity in the consumers. Companies that donate a lot and actively take part in the community, can market to consumer appreciation. Emotions that usually result in likability can be interesting, amazement, curiosity, appreciation, astonishment, and etc…
It’s also important for companies to be careful how they advertise, when it comes to its importance. You want to reflect that the world is bigger than you and your company is trying to add value to it. Consumers will see this and feel appreciation and reliability, instead of seeing you as a big money making company. The world is bigger than your brand. Focus on adding value to the world, and your customers will notice.
Companies should avoid advertising that might relate to peoples vulnerabilities. Trying to stir up emotions, you can’t take it too far or showcase something that will result in the viewer having negative emotions. Fear is one of them, and even though it can help in security industries, it still deters from the goal of getting likability.

Striking emotional chords is a way in which companies target their audiences. Humans are very emotional, and when they see an emotional advertisement that motivates them to do something, they feel good. I have seen many emotional commercials ranging from Nike to the animal shelter commercials. Apple for example, has an iPhone commercial that is very emotional. Their newer iPhone versions come with an application called FaceTime. This application allows two iPhone users to video call each other. The commercial shows a man who is far away from home using FaceTime to call his wife who just had her first baby. The commercial then shows them talking again when their daughter walks her first steps. These are important moments in a baby’s life and the commercial shows how even though the father is far away, an iPhone can keep him connected with his family. Motivation, emotion, and feelings are ways of striking an emotional chord with the desired targeted audiences.

Emotional chords do not necessarily need to be sad advertisement. Motivation is another great way to advertise. For example, I have seen many Nike commercials about different athletes that display their day-to-day routine and how hard they have worked to be where they are today. These commercials are very motivational and really touch their audience and motivate them to maybe work out, and buy a new pair of Nike running shoes. I believe this way of marketing is effective when trying to sell a product, or just show people how the product is something they really might need.

Striking an emotional chord with audiences almost guarantees and a bond between the viewer and the company trying to display their message. By linking a message to an emotion helps better identify the message being sent out. It also gives the viewer an easier platform to relate to by triggering a memory or thought that is tied with the emotion being struck. If done successfully this can also garnish a greater response by the viewer such as spreading the word about the commercial or message being displayed. With today’s interconnected world retweeting, sharing, posting can be done so easily and is virtually a free way of getting messages across. Companies that strike emotional chords have the ability to harness this outlet and get commercials viral in a matter of minutes. Striking the chords emotionally with mass amount of people will get the message to spread like wildfire. There are so many examples of videos, commercials or messages being spread through social media platforms that last for months. These can trigger campaigns as well as platforms to work of off.
Surprise, humanizing, inspiration, playfulness, passion, imagery, narratives, generosity or SHIPPING are all amazing aspects in which one can trigger this emotional chords in viewers but there are some other ways. If anything, finding a way to connect personally with a viewer will trigger emotions easily. Focusing on pop culture, society, breaking news and crises are all examples of ways to provoke thought and emotions. We as humans also connect well with other humans. Incorporating emotions through family, friends and especially children are great ways. On top of that people connect well with animals, which is probably why we still see so many infomercials about helping animals and wildlife organizations. If a family owns a dog and loves it, chances are they would be willing to help other animals get into that situation. This is triggers love emotions and caring for something on a personal level.

I think striking emotional chords is a very effective way for companies to do target marketing to their audiences. Any time an individual can draw an emotional connection to something, they instantly feel drawn to that product or service. Being in sales currently, a good sales coach will train you to ask probing questions of the customer to find out what the root of their problem is. Once you’ve accomplished this, than sell to the emotion.

I liked the example in the blog how Virgin America has created a very fun and catchy safety video. I’m a frequent business traveler myself, but I will be the first to admit that no one truly likes to fly. I mean it is the quickest and most efficient way to get from point A – to – point B, but still anytime you feel that turbulence, you are instantly nervous as to what could be happening.

But one of my favorite airlines, and one that I am a frequent traveler on, Southwest, also has these very funny anecdotes to convey the safety briefing to their passengers. Their safety briefing is not recorded but they always use funny phrases like, “make sure your headrest and seatback are in their most upright and uncomfortable position.” Or another one that I hear very frequently on the very short, Ft Lauderdale to Tampa route, is “folks, we know that for some we just handed out your beverage but at this time we need you to stop enjoying and start chugging, because we need to come back through the aisles and pick up all service items.”

I believe airlines like Southwest offer these little anecdotes to help alleviate the stress that comes with a flying. So they make jokes of a very nervous situation for many in an effort to keep people calm. Well the same can be done with marketing a product or service, tie an emotional connection to it and you instantly have a known-brand.

Humans are very emotional people so catching their attention emotionally is the best method to be successful in marketing. The shipping method sums up a person’s primary emotions as S-Surprise, H-Humanizing, I-Inspiring, P-Playfulness, P-Passion, I-Imagery, N-Narratives and G-Generosity. Although those are some very key emotions that are used in marketing, there are also many other ways to get content to strike an emotional chord.

A method to help a target audience get emotionally invested in content is to be vulnerable. Whether it is a commercial or a blog, when a person is vulnerable about their struggles and how they were able to overcome them it helps people to get emotionally invested. For example, when I read blogs and I see that the person is secure enough in themselves to admit their mistakes it makes me drawn to them. The same is true with commercials. When I have watch a commercial and see people with similar struggles I am much more interested in watching it. For example, when I was struggling with acne and a commercial came on where a girl talked about her embarrassment because of her acne scars it made me attentive and interested in the commercial.

Another method that some marketing companies use is to guilt their target market. For example I have been watching TV when an advertisement came on for abandoned puppies that needed homes. Watching the commercial I got very emotionally invested as I saw a lot of puppies who looked completely abandoned with no one to help them. After watching that commercial I wanted to go rescue a puppy from the animal shelter!” While guilt can be a very powerful marketing tool, it can have the opposite effect. Some people do not like seeing puppies who are suffering so instead of watching the advertisement they will change the channel.

As we live our lives we create emotional attachments to brands. There can be so many way to connect with a target audience. The audience wants to see the brand. They want hear the brand and understand it. They want the brand to inspire them to connect and engage with you. They want the brand to help them achieve their goals and objectives. They want relevant content and conversation that makes them think. They want inspired to do different, do better and be better. Personalizing the message for the audience make them want what the message is giving. It’s also important to note that cultural influences can strike an emotional chord as well. A lot of consumers connect to other countries cultures and those other consumer that are in that country. The truth is, with a little inspiration and a creative mind, any brand or product can be the subject of a creative campaign. It’s about finding all the right emotional chord and elements to get your message across. Having that emotional connection drive the audiences to understand the message you are try to bring to them. Emotions have a powerful influence on decision making and behavior. When you talking about the power of emotion, you are creating more engaging content and connect with your audience in a real and unbelieve ways.
Another say you can strike an emotional chord is with color. Color has a significant emotional impact, which can significantly influence your audience. Many colors can have that emotional filling too. Bright colors almost all the time make people happy. Whereas dark can bring must tend to people fill down. Ads are becoming more and more colorful now a day. Color along with the good connective strike great emotional chord with whatever target audiences you long for, and what I mean by connective. Personalize the content for your audiences. Make them a part of the brand.

The 8 characteristics of SHIPPING help distinguishing how to trigger an emotional response. This can help create a feeling of attachment to the characters, while increasing attention and retention rate from viewers.

The feeling on belonging, can lead viewers to the impression of being understood and thrust. By feeling that the story depicted could happen to him, or that the character resemble him/her in some way, the viewer will feel understood and trustful. Gatorade often makes some motivating ads for their athletes, even though they might use professional athletes, most models used for their advertisements are shown sweating and going through pain. This might seem normal, but by seeing athletes struggling and suffering, the viewer feel understood, and strongly believe that if Gatorade could help this athlete, it can also help him/her. This type of advertisement, which motivates viewers, athletes in this case, help the brand get the trust of buyers. If Gatorade motivates people, the audience does not feel its being marketed to, but rather helped and understood. Buyers do not feel used and believe in the brand.

Sad advertisements might help in some situations to trigger compassion and generosity, but personally, these advertisements do not work. Over the years I have developed a shield to this emotional appeal from advertisements, as I am feeling used and tricked. Viewers are also acquiring knowledge and advertisements triggering sad feelings may not be as effective as before. Seasonal holidays are also good opportunities to strike an emotional chord with audiences, each one is an opportunity to sell. Holidays are part of our popular culture in which viewers take place and are a good opportunity for companies to market products relevant to the holiday.

The 8 methods of SHIPPING demonstrate successful strategies to reach customers in an emotional way. Connecting with the audience at an emotional level is the main goal of any company that is creating an ad. The story being told by the ad needs to somehow make a deep connection with the brain and heart. The person will remember a certain event that has happened in their life that is relatable to the story being told in the commercial or ad. In my opinion, another way that companies can make a deep connection with their targeted market is through personal experience. It could be playing a sport, spending time with family during the holidays, struggling as a college student, or finding a job that you love. All these things have a really big emotional tie with mostly everyone in the public. Making a person remember a wonderful experience in their life will make the connection even more personal than just making them laugh or entertaining them. For example, Nike and Adidas tend to do this in most of their commercials. They both shoe they struggling kid working day in and day out to make it. Day after day he keeps improving until he finally becomes a professional. Any athlete, no matter what age can relate to this type of commercial. I can guarantee that it made them think of their struggles and how the person found a way to keep pushing. This is more than just a laugh or a simple connection, this is a personal emotional attachment that will make the person fonder of the brand.

Emotions are a great way for companies to target potential customers through various ads or commercials. They do a great job nowadays showing their products in an emotional way which in returns brings in loyal customers. Another way that companies can create an emotional chord with consumers is gentle collisions.

Gentle collisions help match advertising and other promotion strategies that contribute to brand sales without the consumer feeling like they have just been flogged. In addition, gentle collisions spread a brand’s so it creates personal interactions that strike emotional chords. Consumers buy products that meet every day needs, or provides a bit of a connection in a genuinely peculiar way. Gentle collisions usually take place in a live setting that people can relate to such as Facebook pages and Twitter feeds. An example of this was used in the 2014 Super Bowl when JCPenny’s tweeted something unique that had companies and people reacting profoundly. They tweeted “Toughdown Seadawks!! Is sSeattle going toa runaway wit h this???.”

In a way, I feel that consumers do not want to feel “marketed” to. That’s why companies have developed strategies such as “S-H-I-P-P-I-N-G Content with an Emotional Twist,” to help market and attract more consumers to their product. In return, it creates a brand that is not in all in their faces. Nowadays if a company wants customers trust and their loyalty, the product needs to have some type of emotional connection in order to get their money.

In order for companies to effectively garner attention from consumers, it is essential that they tap into their emotions in an effort to evoke positive feelings towards the company and their products as a way to gain their business, trust and loyalty. One way in which content can strike an emotion chord with targeted audiences (that was not mentioned in this blog posting) is by allowing consumers to participate in the development of a product, campaign, or service. For example, Intel Korea partnered with a popular South Korean female singing group named 2NE1 to promote the Intel Ultrabook (which has the capabilities needed for users to create their own music) through the “Make Thumb Noise” Project, which allowed consumers to vote for the instrumental, song title, arrangement style, and bridge of the song on Facebook that would be used in promotions for the laptop. As consumers were given the ability to play a role in creating the song used in the advertising campaign, Intel was able to establish an emotional connection with their targeted audience by making consumers feel as though their voices were heard through the voting system. Therefore, when consumers who participated in the project visited the company’s website (which played the song on their homepage), saw the music video accompanying the song (which featured the artists using the laptop), or heard the song played in the commercial, they felt a personal attachment to the song and the product due to their input in the creation of the song. By allowing consumers to participate in the making of a product or service, or the marketing aspect of a campaign as demonstrated in the example, consumers feel a sense of accomplishment and pride for being a part of something that is typically exclusive to those who work for the company. In addition, they also feel that the company not only values them as consumers, but as a powerful creative and innovative force.

I feel like companies normally do a really good job at getting an emotional bond with its targeted audience. I feel like using experiences that people have gone trhough and demonstrating them to the audience helps a lot. It makes people relate their lives to whatever it is they are watching. If the company can manage to target the audience to whatever is important to them they can easily identify a bond. The most popular in my opinion are nike, Gatorade, and adidas, which show motivating quotes and people who have overcome something in their lives. Since athletes are the motivation of many people, the targeted audience tends to respond very well to that. For example, if I like Rafael Nadal and I see a good commercial starring him then I would automatically connect to that commercial and put all my attention on it. I remember the commercial about the NFL about the player who was deaf, they showed how he never gave up and eventually became a professional player, those kinds of commercials motivate and activate the audience’s emotions which make it much more effective. Some of the clips I see go viral most of the time are the extraordinary redbull and gopro commercials, which shoe people doing things others would not do. This type of content always motivates people and leaves them in constant admiration, which is a great emotional chord. Although all these techniques and all this content work they have to be used right. Commercials need to have a balance of everything. No one wants a boring commercial of sad emotional moments. It has to be entertaining and motivating at the same time. Some might even motivate through humor, but are backed up by other features, which make them work.

There are many ways that marketers utilize consumer’s emotions in order to build a relationship or leave a lasting impression. The main emotions that are used are surprise, humanizing, inspiration, playfulness, passion, imagery, narratives and generosity.

I believe an effective emotional tool that isn’t utilized is struggle. Many people in the United States have been going through a rough time, and at times it is easy to forget that corporations, or moreover the people in organizations, are humans and go through struggle in life as well. It would be an easy connection to tell their stories of sadness and triumph while promoting their product. They could send a message of hope and the consumer could see that they are the same too and we are all connected. Sometimes it is difficult to understand the strife someone has experienced after they have become successful, whether they be a CEO or someone famous. They all started somewhere. Struggle is a raw emotion that not all people truly tap into or like to share. That bare emotion could send a powerful message.

Another emotional idea might be to capture a journey through its entire process. For example, the birth of a baby through them growing up, getting married and having their own child, or maybe something as extreme as someone training to climb mount Everest, all the sweat, pain and tears, and them finally reaching the top. Using human achievements in a real way would leave a mark on a company’s viewers and make them remember their commercial, brand, and product.

Lastly, emotions are a great way to inspire the masses. We all feel different things at different moments in our lives. Companies that understand how to utilize these experiences would be able to run a more than successful campaign that reaches across a multitude of audiences.

There are many effective ways to connect emotional with the targeted audience, and one that I think can be very effective is the strategic use of taking advantage of special holidays. When people are going through the holidays they get just a little bit more emotional than they would on a day-to-day basis, taking stories that would relate their holiday adventures. A great example is the WestJet holiday video. They took advantage of the wish of a Christmas miracle and made it come true.

Another content that strikes a huge emotional chord in society are children. When children reach out and speak their mind they are able to come across and make a bigger impact than if an adult would. When children are shown on tv commercials they make your hear skip a beat, they don’t always need to be seen in bad conditions, but when are they can definitely shake the ground and make life changing movements.

A great way is through the use of the world and society all together, when society is affected as a whole, people can see the effect of the present and foresee how their future can come to be. This can move anyone today, because it doesn’t necessarily target someone, but targets everyone’s future.

And my personal favorite would be content that is relatable, content that is relatable but to the heart. Something that touches family matters, love, and friendships, all these things are things that usually make our hearts beat faster. Sometimes we want to see that we aren’t the only ones dealing with the problems that we are going through, feeling that comfort is gratifying.

Creating effective marketing content should strike emotional chords. After going through the main emotions S-H-I-P-P-I-N-G which will be recalled by audiences, I believe that there could be other ways to catch their attention. First, creating something innovated; it could be with technology or even futuristic, people will express amazement and interest. Another way is developing something innocent; having a baby or pet revealed love; there have been videos were children mimic adult’s life and talk funny, but I am talking about producing something cute. It will captivate people’s affection, delight and trust. Also, sadness makes the audience to connect and emphasize by causing sorrow and hope. I constantly remember commercials that remind me of my puppy and every time I go to the supermarket for toilet paper, I buy Scott. Additionally, videos that exaggerate reasonably will capture people’s attention because it could be entertain and amuse them. There are many ways that brands can attract audiences, but they must stay within their range; what I mean is that posting a romantic video for a mobile company is not going to connect the message and the people; something showing passion and love could look better for a perfume company. Feeling empathy for others creates awareness and having a need to help, making videos promoting cancer awareness or raising money for a good cause. People will feel trust and accept this brand by their creation of hope and optimism for other. I personally, lost my dad to cancer and for this reason; I appreciate cancer awareness and participate in most of the events like relay for life or buying products that are pink picturing cure for cancer. There are many ways to demonstrate the brand’s origins and try to help spread the word when their goals can create emotion.

The eight attributes of emotional content— surprise, humanizing, inspiration, playfulness, passion, imagery, narratives, generosity—all work very well at striking an emotional chord with viewers. But, there are other ways to strike an emotional cord with targeted audiences.

Emotional moments are what make commercials and ads so memorable to viewers, ads that tell a story and ads that are easy to make connections with. When a viewer sees something in a commercial that they can relate to in any way, the commercial automatically creates a connection and makes an impact whether it is realized right away or not. Emotional chords can easily be struck by marketers if they use big life moments that many people go through. For example, Nikon could do an ad for a camera or video camera going through the beginning steps a family takes. The story of a couple falling in love and starting a family will be touching to many people and will strike an emotional chord.

Another way to reach people is through the emotional connection with animals. Many people love animals and would relate to an ad that uses animals whether it be in a humorous way or sentimental way. I personally love seeing the funny and cute things pets do that their families happen to get on video and post on the internet. So, I automatically connect with anything that has to do with animals.

Marketers could also strike an emotional cord through a powerful commercial with a deep, thought provoking concept of life. I love the discovery channel and movies about Earth and nature. People could connect with that in many different ways. Some people love to learn, and if the ad is done well, it can teach a few memorable facts in just a short minute-long ad. An ad about nature will strike with environmentalists and hopefully raise awareness.

Connecting emotionally with an audience has proven to be very successful as we have seen videos and commercials quickly spread through social media upon audience approval. The acronym “SHIPPING” accurately describes some of the most successful attributes of emotional content including: surprise, humanizing, inspiration, playfulness, passion, imagery, narratives, and generosity. Another way I think that content could strike an emotional chord with targeted audiences is through its ability to be relatable. When viewers see content in which they can relate to their own life they are likely to become intrigued in the content. I am not referring to the ridiculously over exaggerated sales commercials, selling products that potentially appear in an As Seen on TV Store. I am more so referencing content that makes people aware of problems they are currently facing in which they realize the need of the product or service. The first step of the consumer buying process is need recognition. Media content that makes viewers connect emotionally on relatable terms can help to initiate the process. For example, a mother to a family of six is constantly buying groceries but does not have the room for them in her ten year old fridge. Seeing a commercial for Samsung’s new double-door fridge may entice her interest as she sees a family of seven unload a full car load of groceries into the fridge. The viewer emotionally relates to the commercials content and becomes connected with her desire for a new fridge and the name Samsung. I know that I have personally seen many commercials on TV that I have been able to relate. Because I was able to relate to them I pursued further interest in the product or service. Being able to emotionally relate with targeted audiences not only established need recognition but also brand awareness.